Car review: Mercedes Benz's Vitamin B shot

One gripe

One gripe with the transmission is the position of the gear selector stalk on the right of the steering column, though. Indians are used to having the indicator stalk on the right, so there's a chance that when a person who has upgraded from a Japanese or Korean car wants to indicate left or right, they'll inadvertently put the car into neutral - this is something that will have to be explained at the showroom level, during a test drive!

The B-Class offers a level of handling that is one step above any other hatchback, premium or otherwise.

Although its electrically powered steering unit feels a bit dull in the hands, if you really push the car through a series of tight corners, it grips surprisingly well and with a lot of confidence, for a front wheel-driven car.

Undulations in the road are ironed out well enough to keep occupants happy, although it does tend to become a bit bumpy at the back over a series of potholes - this improves if there is more weight on the rear axles.